Meet the team
Meet our Autonomy Care Group Directors
Andrew Dykes
Chairman
Andrew is a non-practising barrister whose initial career was in marine insurance where he specialised in oil pollution of the sea.
After a Sloan Fellowship at the London Business School in 1986-87 he branched out into other fields and has held directorships of several companies.
He has been involved in the care of people with learning disabilities as an owner/operator since 1997 and is closely involved with the operation of the services provided.
Lucy Jolliffe
Commercial Director
James Hamilton
Managing Director
After graduating with an Architecture degree, James ran his own company working with horses for 10 years. Following a major career change, he has since worked in a variety of roles, including Commercial, Financial and Operational positions, across a wide range of social care settings over the past 15 years. This has included working with people with Complex Needs, Learning Disabilities, Acquired Brain Injuries, Mental Health, and Older People.
In 2017, James completed an MBA with the Open University.
As Managing Director, James is keen to further grow, develop and support the brilliant teams at Autonomy across the three divisions to enable us to provide outstanding care for all of the people we support.
Nicholas Faulkner-Elliott
Director
Nic joined Autonomy Life Limited in November 2020. He has worked in a number of different care settings spanning over 20 years including Children's SMEH/LD and adult community and residential settings.
He has worked primarily with people with complex needs and challenging behaviour across these settings.
Further to this Nic started a consultancy and training role nationwide, working in both children's and adult services to support each service in delivering quality and person centred care. He then went onto obtaining his Level 4 Management Award (RMA), Level 3 Award in Education and IOHS in addition to the relevant mandatory training requirements.
Nic is the Responsible individual for Autonomy’s children’s services and the Nominated individual for the Autonomy’s adult services. Nic became a Director within the Autonomy Group of companies in 2023.
He is a strong believer in person centred care, developing staff and encouraging people to reach their full potential.
Meet our Autonomy Care Group Behavioural Team
Mollie Sievewright
Behaviour Support Assistant
After successfully undertaking and completing her Health and Social Care Level 3 at Bath College in 2014, Mollie joined Autonomy Care Group in 2019 as a support worker for our children's service Haresfield. Mollie progressed through the team and has developed a passion for working with people with complex and challenging behaviours. This passion lead to Mollie joining the behavioural support team, as a Behaviour Support Assistant in April 2021.
Since coming into post, Mollie has successfully undertaken and passed her Level 3 Qualification in Teaching. Mollie is an accredited PBMPro Trainer and First Aid Trainer. She is currently undertaking her Level 5 in Leadership and Management for Adult Care.
Sharon Young
Registered Manager
Lynette Collier
Assistant Manager
Lynette has over 25 year’s experience of working alongside individuals with learning disabilities, challenging behaviour and Mental Health starting as a Support Worker.
She started with Autonomy Life in March 2020 and wanted to build good knowledge and relationships within The Willows, to enable staff and service users to reach their full potentials.
Lynette feels she is empathetic and a great people’s person and has achieved her Level 4 Diploma in Health and Social Care.
Adina Iures
Registered Manager
Adina has been working at The Oaks for over 10 years. She started as a Support Worker, progressing to Team Leader and now she is the Registered Manager.
Adina has achieved her Level 2 in Health and Social Care, Level 2 in Team Leading and QCF Level 5 in Health and Social Care. She also has a degree in Psychology achieved at the University in Bucharest.
She enjoys working with people with challenging behaviour and finds her job really rewarding. She believes that when you work in care you need to have empathy for the people that you support, and they will reward you back with happiness and progression.
Claire Hawkins
Assistant Manager
Claire started her journey with Autonomy Care Group in 2010 when she joined the Autonomy Life team as a Support Worker.
Her achievements include Health and Social Care NVQ Level 2, ICQ Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care and ICQ Intermediate Level 2 Apprenticeship in Team Leading.
In 2018 Claire Joined the domiciliary side of the business at Autonomy Care as a Care-Coordinator. Claire was able to expand and utilise her extensive knowledge in supporting adults with learning disabilities and complex behavioural needs.
The role enabled Claire to take on more managerial responsibilities and she is currently working towards a Level 5 Leadership and Management Diploma in Health and Social Care.
Autonomy Life - Weavers Lodge:
Nick Rickwood
Service Manager
Nick started as a Support Worker supporting adults with learning disabilities in 1992 . He then developed his knowledge and practice by qualifying as a Drama Therapist, before then qualifying as an Adult Teacher to support staff and staff teams development.
In 2003, Nick progressed into the role of a Registered Manager for Somerset County Council, where he remained for 14 years, managing residential, supported living, domiciliary care, and day support services.
Nick has an additional 4 years experience of directly supporting managers and their services through more senior management roles and for 2 ½ years he supported the Royal Air Force Association Charity by managing one of their registered hotel services for Veterans.
In his long career, Nick has successfully worked with individuals, their families, community partners and other agencies/services to design and deliver individualised and highly qualitative, outcome-based services, that places the individual at the heart of their services and local community, and in control of their own lives.
Zoe Miller-Manning
Registered Manager
Zoe’s Care career started 11 years ago with elderly community care. Zoe then moved on to a residential care home specialising in Dementia as a Care Assistant. Within her 5 years there, she progressed to a Senior Trainer completing her NVQ Level 3 and Specialist Dementia Training Service. Within Zoe’s career she has been a Care Assistant, Senior Care Assistant, Support Worker, Home Trainer, Care Leader, Medication Lead and Trouble-shooter. She took on a new role as a Healthcare Recruitment Consultant but realised her passion was in care and needed to have a more hands on role, which is why she joined Autonomy Care.
Zoe started with Autonomy Care in Melksham as a Care Coordinator but very quickly stepped up to an Assistant Manager level, before progressing to the role of Registered Manager.
Zoe is very passionate about ensuring each Support Worker works to their full potential and always bettering themselves by learning new skills and gaining new qualifications.
Samantha O'Dwyer
Interim Service Manager
Samantha has over 29 years experience in residential care for the elderly. Her career started in 1994 as a Junior Care Assistant in a care home, as she progressed her role to Senior Care Assistant. Samantha worked up the career ladder to Assistant Manager before becoming Home Manager for 2 years.
She started at Autonomy Care in our Melksham domiciliary service in November 2021 and enjoyed her position as Assistant Manager. Samantha is now Interim Service Manager, as she is covering our Registered Manager's maternity leave.
She has always been very passionate about care and making a difference to people’s lives.
Mike Evans
Registered Manager
Mike started working in care in 2010, working with vulnerable adults with learning disabilities. 5 years later Mike began working in childcare, working with children with autism and associated disabilities.
In 2018 Mike became a Registered Manager, managing a small home for children with learning disabilities before joining Autonomy Plus in November 2019. He has enjoyed the past 3 years developing the home for the children at Haresfield, to help enable them to have the best opportunities to make their lives as fulfilled as possible.
Autonomy Care Group - Head Office:
Hazel Wordley
HR Manager
Sophie Clark
Finance Manager
Sophie has been working in accounts for nearly 9 years. Starting in an accountancy practice dealing with various small and medium sized businesses mainly in the construction industry.
After a successful time in practice she decided to explore a new sector, joining Autonomy Care Group in February 2021 as a Finance Manager.
Kayleigh Neech
Finance Manager
Kayleigh’s career in finance began over 10 years ago when she enrolled in AAT Level 2 at Trowbridge College and started working as an Accounts Assistant. Since then, she has completed her AAT studies and is now working to obtain her ACCA accountancy qualification, gaining finance experience in a variety of sectors. She joined Autonomy Care Group as a Finance Manager in November 2020 to support business growth.
Sarah Lewis
Accounts Assistant
Stephanie Newman
HR Officer
Stephanie's career began in fashion retail 26 years ago, progressing through the company to area Learning and Development Assistant. Stephanie moved from fashion retail into interior design as a store manager in 2010. After promotion within the same company to HR and Central Operations Manager, she enrolled on the CIPD Level 5 Diploma in Human Resource Management, graduating in October 2018. She joined the Autonomy Care Group Team in September 2020 as HR Officer to support the growth of services group wide. Stephanie is also a qualified Mental Health First Aider, after achieving her qualification in 2022.
Outside of work, she is a keen crafter and dog lover.
Steph Pearce
HR Assistant
Jen Latham
Marketing Co-Ordinator
After completing her Degree and Masters in Film Production, Jen learnt many key skills in campaigning and the art of Digital Marketing. Jen now has over 7 years experience in marketing over a variety of different sectors and brings her core skills in Social Media, Content Writing and Brand Awareness to Autonomy Care Group.
Jen joined Autonomy Care Group in December 2019 after relocating from Manchester.